Editing Sediment (section)

{{short description|Particulate solid matter deposited on a planetary surface}}
{{for|sediment in wine|Sediment (wine)}}
[[File:Sediment plume at sea.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2| {{center|[[River Tiber]] discharging sediment into the ocean}}]]
{{sediment sidebar}}
'''Sediment''' is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sediment |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/sediment/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=National Geographic |language=}}</ref> It occurs naturally and, through the processes of [[weathering]] and [[erosion]], is broken down and subsequently [[sediment transport|transported]] by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of [[gravity]] acting on the particles. For example, [[sand]] and [[silt]] can be carried in [[suspension (chemistry)|suspension]] in river water and on reaching the sea bed deposited by [[sedimentation]]; if buried, they may eventually become [[sandstone]] and [[siltstone]] ([[sedimentary rock]]s) through [[lithification]].

Sediments are most often transported by water ([[fluvial|fluvial processes]]), but also wind ([[aeolian processes]]) and [[glacier]]s. Beach sands and [[stream channel|river channel]] deposits are examples of fluvial transport and [[deposition (geology)|deposition]], though sediment also often settles out of slow-moving or standing water in lakes and oceans. Desert sand dunes and [[loess]] are examples of aeolian transport and deposition. [[Glacial]] [[moraine]] deposits and [[till]] are ice-transported sediments.